NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Courtney Ulery, Catherine Newman, Jackie Wu and Chelsea Preeg advanced to their respected bracket championships during the second day of the annual June Stewart Invitational. The Commodores went 5-3 in singles Saturday while posting a respectable 4-4 mark in doubles.
Newman, a junior from Greensboro, N.C., took control of her singles match early and never looked back as she cruised to tomorrow’s final of the Jason Valentine Draw after dispatching Kentucky’s Lauren Meier 6-2, 6-1. The win over Meier gives Newman her seventh victory of the fall season.
Freshman Jackie Wu had one of the highlights of the tournament as she improved to 8-0 in singles by outlasting William and Mary’s Katarina Zoricic in a 3 1/2 hour marathon, 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-0. The win over No.94 Zoricic sets the table for tomorrow’s marquee championship matchup between Newman and Wu. This is the second year in a row that two Commodores will square off in a bracket final. Last year, Courtney Ulery defeated former Vanderbilt All-American Amanda Taylor in two set tiebreaker.
Courtney Ulery improved to 2-0 this weekend as she defeated William and Mary’s Lauren Sabacisnski in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, setting up a final showdown against Kentucky’s Christine Johnston. Ulery topped Johnston in their only meeting last year at the SEC Fall Coaches Classic.
Freshman Chelsea Preeg also improved to 2-0 on the weekend as she breezed through Indiana’s Katya Zapadalova in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2 to set up tomorrow’s championship bout against Kentucky’s Megan Broderick. Broderick ranked No. 55 nationally, clinched a spot in tomorrow’s final by knocking off Indiana’s Charlotte Martin. Preeg enters tomorrow’s match with a 7-1 record in three fall tournaments.
Sophomore Keilly Ulery picked up her fourth win of the fall campaign after dispatching Klaudyna Kasztelaniec of William and Mary, 6-4, 6-4.
The final day of the June Stewart Invitational will begin tomorrow with doubles play starting at 9 a.m., at the Currey Tennis Center.
Vanderbilt Singles Results
Newman (VU) def. Meier (Kentucky) 6-2, 6-1
Wu (VU) def. No. 94 Zoricic (William & Mary) 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-0
C. Ulery (VU) def. Sabacinski (William & Mary) 6-4, 6-2
K. Ulery (VU) def. Kasztelaniel (William & Mary) 6-4, 6-4
Preeg (VU) def. Zapadalova (Indiana) 6-3, 6-2
Johnston (Kentucky) def. Steinbauer (VU) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
Pop (William & Mary) def. Blatt (VU) 6-3, 6-4
Sopel (Indiana) def. Robertson (VU) 6-0, 2-6, 6-4
Vanderbilt Doubles Results
No. 16 Escamilla / Johnston (Kentucky) def. Wu / Preeg (VU) 9-8(2)
Berdala / Guerreiro (Indiana) def. Steinbauer / Ulery, C. (VU) 8-6
Robertson / Blatt (VU) def. Moccia, As. / Kerr (Western Michigan) 8-3
Acharya / Kargl (William & Mary) def. Newman / Ulery, K. (VU) 9-7
Wu / Preeg (VU) def. Zoricic / Pop (William & Mary) 8-1
Newman / Ulery, K. (VU) def. Meier / Broderick (Kentucky) 8-3
Steinbauer / Ulery, C. (VU) def. Kasztelaniel / Sabacinski (William & Mary) 9-8(0) Stone / Lilley (Kentucky) def. Blatt / Robertson (VU) 8-5
